Jupally Krishna Rao in Congress gives a tough fight to BRS; BJP not close in race in Kollapur

Assembly Constituency: Kollapur

District: Nagarkurnool

MLA Name: Beeram Harshavardhan Reddy (Reddy)

Reservation: GENERAL

Total Voters: 2,19,435 Rural Voters: 100%

Booths: 269 Male: 51%

Urban Voters: 0% Female: 49%

Caste & Religious Demography:

Gen OBC: 73.1%

SC: 19.4%

ST: 7.5%

Hindu: 95%

Muslim: 5%

Others :0%

Candidates:

Beeram Harshavardhan Reddy (BRS)

In the 2018 elections, Kollapur seat was won by the Congress candidate Beeram Harshavardhan Reddy. He defeated Jupally Krishna Rao of the BRS with a margin of 12,543 votes. Now he joined the BRS and Jupally joined the Congress. Being a stronghold of the Congress party, the fight will be tough for Beeram.

Jupally Krishna Rao (Congress)

When Jupally was in the BRS, he defeated Beeram in 2014 elections, with a margin of 10,498 votes. Now the scene has turned upside down with Jupally neglected by the BRS joining the Congress. Jupally was not new to the Congress, he won the 2009 elections from Kollapur on the Congress ticket.

Aelleni Sudhakar Rao (BJP)

The BJP leader who blames the rampant corruption in Kollapur to both Beeram and Jupally wishes that the people would give him a chance for development. He attributes national highway development to the Union Government and hopes for a double-engine sarkar.

AC information:

Geography: Seven Mandals - Kollapur Veepangandla Kodair, Pangal, Peddakothapalle, Chinambavi and Pentlavell form the Assembly constituency of Kollapur.

Kollapur ZPTC and Six MPTCs were won by the TRS and three independent candidates won from the Jupally group in this mandal. In Kollapur mandal, SCs, BCs and Velamas are dominant. A majority of the public supports the TRS in this mandal. The Congress didn't fare well in MPTC elections from this mandal.

Veepanagandla Mandal: ZPTC and two MPTCs were won by the TRS and the Jupally group won six MPTCs in this mandal. OBCs are majority in this mandal and among OBCs mainly Gouds are dominant in this mandal.

Kodair: ZPTC and six MPTCs won by the TRS, Congress won three MPTCs and three independent candidates won from the Jupally Krishnarao group. OBCs are the majority in this mandal. Yadavs, Gouds, Mudiraj and SCs are the majority. Initially, they supported Jupally, but now they shifted their loyalty to the Congress and Harshavardhan Reddy.

Pangal mandal: ZPTC and 10 MPTCs won by the TRS in this mandal. STs are a majority in this mandal and the Congress got a strong hold. Many Lambada families support the Congress here. However, many tribal families joined the TRS along with Harshavardhan Reddy in 2019.

Pedhakothapally mandal: ZPTC and fourteen MPTCs were won by the TRS, only one MPTC was won by the Independent Jupally group. SCs are in majority in this mandal. Many of the SCs support the Congress. They were the backbone of Jupally Krishna Rao. However, in 2018, they shifted to the Congress from Jupally group to Harsha Vardhan Reddy.

Background: The Kollapur region spans the Nallamala forests area on the banks of the river Krishna in the Nagarkurnool district. The Someswara, Sangameshwara and Malleshwara temples are located in this region. This Assembly constituency was formed in 1952.

Fifteen elections were held in this Assembly constituency. The Congress won nine times from this constituency. Independent candidates won three times. Only one time did the TDP win from this Assembly constituency. The Congress is very strong in this segment. Politically. Kollapur is dominated by Velamas.

MLA Profile:

Political Background: Harshavardhan’s father Lakshma Reddy worked as Sarpanch of Singotam village and acted as District Co-operative Bank Director. Harshavardhan started his political career through his father. First, he joined the TDP, and later he joined the YSRCP. But in 2014, he joined Congress and contested for the Kollapur assembly. In 2018 second time he contested as a Congress candidate and won, but in 2019 he defected to the TRS.

Financial Strength: He is from a landlord's family. Financially he is very sound. He owns educational institutions and construction businesses in Hyderabad and Mahabubnagar.

2014 Assembly Analysis:

In 2014, Jupally Krishna Rao won from this constituency. There were so many reasons behind his victory in the 2014 Assembly elections. In 2009, he won as a Congress candidate and became Civil Supplies Minister in the YSR Cabinet. After the death of YSR, he was an Endowments Minister in K Rosaiah's Cabinet. Due to some sentimental issues, he resigned from his minister's post and he didn't join Kiran Kumar Reddy's cabinet. In 2012, he resigned from the MLA post and joined the TRS. In 2012 by-elections, he contested as a TRS candidate and won by-elections. Before the 2014 elections, he conducted Padayatra all over the Kollapur constituency. In that padayatra, he tried to know the problems and made promises to resolve their problems such as irrigation and drinking water scarcity. Jupally's role in Telangana movement also helped him to win the elections.

2018 Assembly Analysis:

In the 2018 elections, Beeram Harshavaradhan Reddy (Congress) won the seat. But in 2019, he joined TRS. He entered into active politics in 2009 and was active in Kollapur politics. His father was a sarpanch of Singotam, so he observed politics very closely since his childhood.

He contested as a Congress candidate and was defeated by TRS. Jupally Krishna Rao lost the 2018 elections because of the allegations that his son misused power. OBC votes shifted from the TRS to the Congress in this election. Reddies from the Jupally group supported Beeram Harsha Vardhan Reddy. Because Reddies are not getting opportunities as MLAs for many years. Internally, they supported the Congress candidate. OBC social groups also supported the Congress. The yadavas, kurumas, mudirajs and vadderas rallied behind the Congress.

Current Situation

Congress is facing a leadership crisis in Kollapur. After Harsha Varadhan Reddy joined the TRS, the Congress sensed trouble. After Revanth Reddy became TPCC chief, he pursued and saw to it that Jupally joined the party. Before him, only former MPP Madan Rao had joined INC. Aelleni Sudhakar Rao the BJP in charge, is active.

Key Local Issues:

• Somasila Siddeswaram Bridge.
• Singotam bridge canal.
• Construction of internal roads in Kollapur town
• Construction of roads between the villages
• Provision of bus facilities to many villages in Pedhakothapally, Veepanagandla mandals